Hanoi, Vietnam (CNN) -- North Korea on Saturday heightened its threats against upcoming U.S.-supported military exercises after talks over the sinking of a South Korean warship. North Korea "will legitimately counter with [its] powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises to be staged by the U.S. and the South Korean puppet forces," the state-run KCNA news agency said. Earlier, the isolated communist nation vowed a "physical response" to massive U.S.-South Korean military drills set to begin Sunday. The U.S. Defense Department said the drills are in response to the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and are intended to send a strong message to Pyongyang to stop "provocative and warlike acts."

About 8,000 military personnel from the United States and

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- CNN are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- Cheonan are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- Clinton are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- Han Park are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- Hanoi are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- KCNA are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- North Korea are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- North Korean are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- Pyongyang are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- South Korean are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- U.S. are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- U.S. Defense Department are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.
- Vietnam are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.


South Korean are scheduled to participate in the joint military exercises.